The Bard returning to Royal Oak with beer, wine

ROYAL OAK — Get in on the act of a Shakespeare in the Park production.

Last year’s successful debut of beer and wine sales means many bills have been paid and the show will go on for the Water Works Theatre Company.

Founder Ed Nahhat feared the 2012 performances could be the last at Starr-Jaycee Park but a casting call is out for auditions in two weeks.

“We’re ready to go again and we’re ready to grow again,” Nahhat said of the 13th annual season set for Aug. 1-11.

The nonprofit theater group is putting on “The Merry Wives of Windsor” for the main stage presentation and “Much Ado About Nothing” for the daylight family show.

“We’ve got ‘Mob Wives,’ ‘Desperate Housewives,’ ‘Real Housewives of Miami’; this is the original show about wives and it will be set in the antebellum South,” Nahhat said.

Water Works will put its trademark twist on The Bard’s comedy about a man courting a couple of wealthy married women.

The theater group got city approval to sell adult beverages again after last summer’s audiences enjoyed ShakesBeer and Romeo Red wine without incident before “Henry the V” and during intermission.

“An elected official asked if there were any fights and I could say only on the stage,” Water Works publicist Scott Myers of Ferndale said. “Shakespeare crowds aren’t rowdy.”

Sales of drinks to ticket holders age 21 and up doubled concession revenue, Nahhat said. With the revenue boost, Water Works was able to settle up with the city for past-due bills such as bleacher seats and pavilion rentals.

“Every year except for one year we had trouble paying our bill, and that was last year,” Nahhat said.

Or, as Othello put it, “Good wine is a good familiar creature if it be well used.”

However, the group still owes some creditors. To cut expenses this year and avoid a $700 city fee for bleachers delivery, Water Works members will handle the transport and set up. Their request for a discount on weekend pavilion rental was denied, but the city does give Water Works a 50 percent break on weekday pavilion fees.

Water Works will partner again with Royal Oak retail brewer Milking It Productions for the beer but members are looking for a Michigan winery.

Bottoms up helps bottom lines.“At the end of 2011, we were in a survival crisis,” Nahhat said. “We owed half of our budget. At the end of 2012, we cut our debt in half and we wiped out our bill with the city. We’re crawling back from a big deficit.”

This year’s auditions will be 3-7 p.m. March 10 and 4-10 p.m. March 11 at the Royal Oak First United Methodist Church, 320 W. Seventh St., Royal Oak. Call backs will be March 18.

Actors planning to audition should prepare two Shakespeare monologues, including one comedic and neither longer than 2 minutes each. All roles are open to equity and non-equity actors. Equity actors will work under a special appearance agreement. Non-equity actors will be paid a small stipend.

To make an audition appointment, email waterworksbackstage@earthlink.net with the actor’s name, phone number, and choice of audition date and time. Audition requests will be confirmed by phone. Rehearsals for all shows will begin after July 4.

“The Merry Wives of Windsor” will be directed by Paul Hopper and will be performed Aug. 1-11 at Starr-Jaycee Park, 1101 W. 13 Mile Road.

“Much Ado About Nothing” will be directed by Barton Bund with performances Tuesday and Wednesday evenings and weekend afternoons Aug. 3-11.